Settlement reached in backscatter x-ray patent infringement

American Science and Engineering has reached a settlement with Rapiscan Systems, a division of OSI Systems, regarding Patent Interference No 105,890 before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the US Patent and Trademark Office. The proceeding involved technology used in high throughput personnel scanners which include using backscatter X-rays as a detection method.

The terms of the settlement are confidential. It can be reported, however, that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board awarded judgment in favour of AS&E and cancelled all of the claims in the Rapiscan patent.

AS&E's pending application, which will now return to ordinary examination by a patent examiner, is directed to aspects of dual-sided, high-throughput X-ray inspection systems that employ multiple detectors and sources to quickly screen people for explosive threats and other contraband. AS&E has already obtained many patents on backscatter technology.

"We are very pleased to reach a settlement with Rapiscan Systems regarding this interference action," said Chuck Dougherty, AS&E's President and CEO. "AS&E pioneered backscatter technology and the proceeding reaffirms our leading position in developing new applications for backscatter technology to help our customers solve their inspection problems."